Sanitization systems and methods for beverage devices

Abstract

A beverage dispensing device can comprise a housing configured to house a fluid; a feed spout coupled to the housing; and an ultraviolet light emitter coupled to the feed spout, the ultraviolet light emitter oriented in a downward direction during operation, the ultraviolet light emitter configured to emit ultraviolet radiation having an average wavelength between 100 nm and 400 nm.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A beverage dispensing device, comprising:
 a housing configured to house a fluid;   a feed spout coupled to the housing; and   an ultraviolet light emitter coupled to the feed spout, the ultraviolet light emitter oriented in a downward direction during operation, the ultraviolet light emitter configured to emit ultraviolet radiation having an average wavelength between 100 nm and 400 nm.   
     
     
         2 . The beverage dispensing device of  claim 1 , further comprising an ultraviolet light sensor and a sensor housing, the ultraviolet light sensor and the ultraviolet light emitter disposed in the sensor housing. 
     
     
         3 . The beverage dispensing device of  claim 2 , further comprising a controller in electronic communication with the ultraviolet light sensor and the ultraviolet light emitter. 
     
     
         4 . The beverage dispensing device of  claim 3 , wherein the controller is configured to determine a fluid level during dispensing of the fluid and configured to determine an amount of ultraviolet radiation emitted from the ultraviolet light emitter during a sanitization cycle. 
     
     
         5 . The beverage dispensing device of  claim 3 , wherein the controller is configured to receive an input signal, and in response to the input signal, initiate a sanitization process. 
     
     
         6 . The beverage dispensing device of  claim 1 , further comprising a second ultraviolet light emitter disposed in a recess of the housing, the second ultraviolet light emitter configured to at least partially sanitize an external surface of a container. 
     
     
         7 . The beverage dispensing device of  claim 1 , wherein the average wavelength is between 200 nm and 400 nm. 
     
     
         8 . The beverage dispensing device of  claim 7 , wherein the average wavelength is between 200 nm and 280 nm. 
     
     
         9 . A beverage maker, comprising:
 a housing defining a recess, the recess configured to receive a server in the recess; and   a sanitization device disposed in the recess, the sanitization device comprising an ultraviolet light emitter and an ultraviolet light sensor, the ultraviolet light emitter oriented towards a base of the housing, the sanitization device configured to detect a fluid level in the server during dispensing of a fluid and configured to at least partially sanitize one of the server and the fluid during dispensing of the fluid.   
     
     
         10 . The beverage maker of  claim 9 , further comprising a controller in electronic communication with the ultraviolet light emitter and the ultraviolet light sensor, the controller configured to:
 receive an input signal;   couple a power supply to the ultraviolet light emitter in response to receiving the input signal;   receive sensor data from the ultraviolet light sensor; and   decouple the power supply from the ultraviolet light emitter in response to determining an ultraviolet radiation level exceeded an ultraviolet radiation threshold.   
     
     
         11 . The beverage maker of  claim 9 , further comprising a second ultraviolet radiation emitter disposed in the housing and oriented towards surfaces within the recess. 
     
     
         12 . The beverage maker of  claim 11 , further comprising a controller in electronic communication with the second ultraviolet radiation emitter, the controller configured to:
 receive an input signal;   couple a power supply to the second ultraviolet radiation emitter in response to receiving the input signal; and   decouple the power supply from the second ultraviolet radiation emitter in response to exceeding a time threshold.   
     
     
         13 . The beverage maker of  claim 9 , wherein the ultraviolet light emitter is configured to emit ultraviolet radiation having an average wavelength between 100 nm and 400 nm. 
     
     
         14 . The beverage maker of  claim 13 , wherein the average wavelength is between 200 nm and 400 nm. 
     
     
         15 . The beverage maker of  claim 14 , wherein the average wavelength is between 200 nm and 280 nm. 
     
     
         16 . A retrofit process for a beverage dispensing device, the retrofit process comprising:
 decoupling a level sensor from a location of a housing of the beverage dispensing device, the level sensor configured to detect a level of a fluid in a container during a dispensing process of the beverage dispensing device; and   coupling a sanitization device in the location of the housing, the sanitization device comprising an ultraviolet light emitter and an ultraviolet light sensor, the sanitization device configured to detect the level of the fluid in the container during the dispensing process of the beverage dispensing device and sanitize one of the beverage dispensing device and the container.   
     
     
         17 . The retrofit process of  claim 16 , wherein the ultraviolet light emitter is configured to emit ultraviolet radiation having an average wavelength between 100 nm and 400 nm. 
     
     
         18 . The retrofit process of  claim 17 , wherein the average wavelength is between 200 nm and 400 nm. 
     
     
         19 . The retrofit process of  claim 16 , wherein the level sensor is configured to emit infrared radiation having an average wavelength between 780 nm and 1 mm. 
     
     
         20 . The retrofit process of  claim 16 , wherein the level sensor comprises a first housing having a first shape and the sanitization device comprises a second housing having a second shape, and wherein, the second shape is substantially similar to the first shape.